We have found it to be a great privilege to partner with those seeking therapy. There are many reasons people reach out for help, and it is truly an honor to be a part of this rather vulnerable and profoundly meaningful experience. We would welcome an opportunity to assist you.

Relationship Issues and Couples Counseling — Keeping relationships together is hard enough, helping them thrive sometimes seems like a miracle. We work to help clients connect more intimately and work through problematic aspects of a relationship that prohibit them from truly reaching their relational potential.

Health Behavior Change and Addictions Counseling— Brief counseling and more long term therapy is available for clients struggling with depression, anxiety, addictions and health behavior change. Providing therapy to assist clients make needed changes, learn new skills, or gain insights into past difficulties helps empower clients to reduce depression, anxiety and other problematic behaviors while focusing on increasing exercise habits, sleep hygiene, diet and other health behaviors clients wish to address.

If you are interested in working with Dr. Shaun Wehle and Associates please or have questions email us at info@shaunwehle.com, or call 323-379-3453 or read more about us.

Many clients start therapy after finding themselves in a difficult situation and wanting some help working through it or getting out of it. This quote from Einstein has some insight into the burden and the blessing of getting treatment for addiction. Like many, you or your loved one didn't plan on having it get to this point. However, the fact is, you are in a place where you decided to get help. Maybe you're not happy about why you are here, but we hope to encourage you to feel some optimism that you have decided to reach out for help. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, it may actually be the best decision you have made in some time. Just starting the pocess of finding a therapist means that you have hope and that you want to move towards a better life.

- Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values- Developing skills for improving your relationships- Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy- Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety- Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures Improving communications and listening skills- Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones- Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence​Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems. We all go through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you are in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.

People have many different motivations for finding a therapist and starting psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed support, insight and encouragement or help with skills to get them through these stressful periods. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes in their lives.

What is therapy like?Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, you find it best to start short-term therapy, for a specific issue, or long-term therapy, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist.It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process, such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors, or taking action on your goals. People seeking psychotherapy are ready to make positive changes in their lives, are open to new perspectives, and take responsibility for their lives. What about medication vs. psychotherapy? It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what's best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.

To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call them. Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their answers. Some helpful questions you can ask them:

1. What are my mental health benefits?2. What is the coverage amount per therapy session?3. How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?4. How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?5. Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and psychotherapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist's office. Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent.” Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

State law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders is reported to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person